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John
Congress
First District
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Committees form an important feature
for both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Committee members process
legislation and specialize in issues that are related to the committees’ focus.
Bills which originate in committees are either tabled or approved after testimony is
presented. Once testimony has been heard most bills must be revised in committee
“markup” sessions. In this “markup” session, committee members
debate sections of the measure and propose amendments. When a majority of the
committee's members vote approval of the revised bill, the bill then goes to the full
House of Representatives for a vote.
The
Ways and Means Committee: The House Committee on Ways and Means is the oldest standing committee in Congress. It was created in 1789 and has jurisdiction over legislation, methods, and means of raising revenue for the use of the government.
In addition to legislating, the Committee exercises broad oversight authority over economic policy, international trade, welfare, Social Security, Medicare and health care policy.
The two previous representatives of the First Congressional District also served
on the Ways and Means Committee: William Cotter and Barbara B. Kennelly.
Subcommittees
Trade:
The jurisdiction
of the Subcommittee on Trade shall include bills and matters referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means that relate to customs and customs administration
including tariff and import fee structure, classification, valuation of and
special rules applying to imports, and special tariff provisions and
procedures which relate to customs operation affecting exports and imports;
import trade matters, including import impact, industry relief from injurious
imports, adjustment assistance and programs to encourage competitive responses
to imports, unfair import practices including antidumping and countervailing
duty provisions, and import policy which relates to dependence on foreign
sources of supply; commodity agreements and reciprocal trade agreements
including multilateral and bilateral trade negotiations and implementation of
agreements involving tariff and nontariff trade barriers to and distortions of
international trade; international rules, organizations and institutional
aspects of international trade agreements; budget authorizations for the U.S.
Customs Service, the U.S. International Trade Commission, and the U.S. Trade
Representative; and special trade-related problems involving market access,
competitive conditions of specific industries, export policy and promotion,
access to materials in short supply, bilateral trade relations including trade
with developing countries, operations of multinational corporations, and trade
with nonmarket economies.
Source: “Manual of Rules of the Committee on Ways and Means for the One Hundred
Eighth Congress,” WMCP: 108-1.
Select
Revenue Measures: The
jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures shall consist of
those revenue measures that, from time to time, shall be referred to it
specifically by the Chairman of the full Committee.
Source:
“Manual of Rules of the Committee on Ways and Means for the
One Hundred Eighth Congress,” WMCP: 108-1.
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